By Heather L.

There is nothing better for your spirits than going to get a haircut! You know, when you’ve let your hair go for so long it is totally style-less? And every time you look in the mirror, you seem shaggier? You have to lift your bangs to eat?

A few weeks ago, I was feeling that way. And it was affecting my mood, my relationships, everything. So I promised myself I would go get a haircut.

My husband was feeling a little shaggy himself, so he jumped in and scheduled appointments for us at the local beauty school.

‘Great,’ I thought. But I was desperate, and he had a coupon, so I went.

When we arrived at the school, I hit rock bottom. I was wearing my slobby clothes with my hair pulled back in a pony tail, and I felt awful about myself.

But two hours and two inches later, I was “a whole new woman,” according to the receptionist. I felt that way too, as I saw my face in the mirror. A whole new me.

When I came home from my haircut, I immediately got out the camera. I had to capture this “new me.” And this was a “me” I was proud of. It showed in the pictures, too. My eyes were brighter, my smile truer, and my hair…!

Why would I spend the past few paragraphs detailing my bad hair/good hair day? I knew that somewhere in my experience was a gospel principle, and it came to me this morning:

Repentance.

Let me explain! There have been times when I have felt spiritually “shaggy” – after an argument, or when I did what I knew wasn’t right. I could hardly stand to look at myself in the mirror. I knew I was out of sync with God, and it affected my mood, my relationships, everything. I felt awful about myself.

And yet, when I finally got down to repenting – apologizing, repairing my wrong, overcoming my mistake, asking God’s forgiveness, and committing myself to try never to make that mistake again – it was like a magnificent haircut!

My eyes regained their brightness, my smile returned, and I felt like a “whole new me.” New because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who suffered for our sins so that, if we would repent, we could be forgiven.

When I let the Lord trim away my “split ends,” my “shagginess,” my sins through repentance, not only are my burdens lightened, but I feel one step closer to the eternal, internal beauty that comes from striving to live in sync with God. Paraphrasing my son’s favorite scripture, I am then closer to “receiv[ing] His image in my countenance” through that “mighty change in my heart.” (Alma 5:14)

Nothing’s better for my spirit than repentance and feeling like a “whole new me!”